The present invention relates to a training device for and a method for training a gliding sport athlete. Various exercise devices and athletic movement training devices are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,608 to Dougherty et al discloses an athletic movement trainer comprising a belt, ankle straps and an elasticized, bungee-type cord. The cord passes through a ring, such as a screw eye, attached to the belt. Each end of the cord is adjustably connected to an ankle strap so that the cord will remain relaxed as long as the sportsman maintains the proper athletic position but will become tensioned when the athlete deviates from the correct posture or stance. Because the ring does not prevent all movement of the cord, the trainer merely resists, rather than restricts, the upward movement of the athlete. This patent discloses that the trainer helps develop the lower body muscle groups and assists the athlete in maintaining proper hitting stances, particularly in racket sports such as tennis and racket ball. Baseball, basketball and volleyball are also mentioned. However, no mention is made of gliding sports such as ice skating, inline skating, snow skiing, water skiing, surfing, snow boarding etc. In fact, the athletic movement trainer described in this patent would not be particularly helpful for a gliding sport athlete since the cord passes through a ring on the athlete's back and is connected to the back of ankle straps. This arrangement, in particular the cord being attached in back of the athlete and to the ankles, would not encourage the proper weight distribution in knee bend needed for a gliding sport athlete.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,642 to Berry et al discloses a training device worn by a user for strengthening and training the legs for various sports, in particular, golf. The Berry patent discloses a belt which extends around the waist of the user and an elastic strap which has two forward runs and two rearward runs. Each of the forward runs secures to the belt at an upper end along the front section of the belt. The forward runs extend down to a loop which receives the users foot while the rearward runs extend from the loop back to apertures located on the back section of the belt. Like the Dougherty et al patent, the Berry et al patent also makes no mention of gliding sports, and the training device disclosed therein would not be suitable for gliding sport athletes. The training device disclosed in the Berry et al patent would not encourage the proper knee bend or weight distribution necessary for gliding sports.
Gliding sports, especially skating, require an exaggerated knee-bend, i.e., a knee-bend such that the athlete's knee extends forward of the athlete's toes with a body lean forward. This position is not a natural position and is difficult to achieve while standing, walking, or even running without falling or holding on to something. In order to achieve this position, the athlete needs to be in a gliding motion with the potential to lean without falling or ride on an edge. It is for this reason that none of the currently available training devices work properly for gliding sports.